When George Vanderbilt built Biltmore Village for his workers in the late 1890s, it was to create a connection between his estate and the surrounding town, businesses and farms. Over the years the Biltmore Estate has became a tourist attraction, Biltmore Village became a historic district and many of the local farms went away.
In the last 20 years, many small farms have returned to Western North Carolina. You can buy local pork, beef, cheese, milk, microgreens, regular sized greens (a wee joke there), honey, mushrooms and other unique items.
Over the years a group of outstanding restaurants have also made Historic Biltmore Village their home. Of the top 30 restaurants in a city of more than 800 restaurants, several are in the Village.
With this much talent and so many local farms, it seemed natural that the two should come together for something special. In 2016, the first Farm to Village event was held. It was a melding of local food, wine and beer and about 80 ticket holding guests.
This year we vowed to build on what we did two years ago and make the event even better. Eight restaurants and breweries and six local farms got together to provide a multi-course meal to a sold out crowd of 100. The weather was beautiful, lights were strung in the oaks and a table was set in the middle of Boston Way. It was a stunning setting and a wonderful meal.
I love this event because it really lets us highlight the community of growers and the group of chefs that come together to create a uniquely Asheville style event.
– Kevin Westmoreland, co-owner
